On October 24, at The Clash 5 fight night at Unibet Arena, Marko Viik—author of the books *Weekend Tough Guy* and *The Diamond of Mental Strength*, entrepreneur, and CrossFit coach Marko Viik, will step into the cage for the first time. Having previously gotten a taste of combat at Bad Blood, Viik accepted this new challenge based on the principle that one shouldn’t let fear prevent them from seizing the opportunities life offers. “We all have one life, and as a man, I never back down from a challenge. I’ve been very active in CrossFit for over six years, and I want to show that we’re no pushovers,” says Viik.
Combat sports aren’t entirely new to him, though. Viik, who is from Keila, was first introduced to them while playing basketball; in Tallinn, he trained under Mirko Moisar, and since the beginning of this year, Maikel Astur has been leading his training.
Viik’s opponent for The Clash 5 has not yet been announced, and he himself can’t name anyone he’d particularly like to challenge. “I don’t have a grudge against anyone. Not even my ex-girlfriends—and I wouldn’t invite them into the cage anyway,” he jokes.
Who his opponent is isn’t the most important thing to him right now, either. “Whoever comes, comes. I’m not naive. I might lose, I might win, but I know that I’m doing everything I can in my preparation to be ready for that day. And then I’ll live with whatever comes.”
For Viigi, the challenge of The Clash 5 isn’t just about whether he wins or loses. What’s more important is the decision to try something he might later regret not doing. “My message is that you have to do it. But if you make that plan, it’s not like I’m going to sit on the couch eating a sandwich and wait for October 24. You have to take action. It’s not just about training, but also nutrition and your entire lifestyle.”
He believes the same principle applies outside of sports as well. “If one day you’re 60 years old and think you could have done this or that but didn’t, then it’s too late. If you have the chance right now, for heaven’s sake, just do it.”